TRAI Extends Comments Deadline On Porting Costs Review Paper

The telecoms regulator has extended the deadline for stakeholder comments and counter-comments on its discussion paper on reviewing a key porting fee and related ancillary levies for mobile number portability (MNP).

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in a statement Monday, said it has sought comments by April 12 instead of March 15, and counter-comments by April 19 instead of March 22, following requests from stakeholders.

In a discussion paper, dated February 22, TRAI has sought industry views on whether the per-port transaction charge (PPTC) should be computed using the regulator’s current methodology or whether a change was needed.

MNP refers to a facility that allows a subscriber to switch telecom carriers without changing the mobile number. The recipient carrier pays a fee — called PPTC — to the MNP service provider for processing the request.

TRAI’s plans to review this key porting fee comes at a time when monthly porting requests have drastically shrunk, post-consolidation in the telecom industry, and hurt revenues of the country’s two MNP service providers — Syniverse Technologies India and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions India.

Back in January 2018, TRAI had reduced the PPTC by nearly 80% from Rs 19 to Rs 4, which had stung both MNP service providers, who went on to challenge the regulation in court. Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court quashed the Trai regulation, calling it illegal and unsustainable.―Business Telegraph